Gage cutting insert for roller bit

Abstract: An earth-boring bit (11) has a cutter (15) provided with hard gage inserts (61; 71) that protrude from the gage surface (23) of the cutter (15) to engage the side of the borehole for holding gage. The gage insert (61; 61) has a substantially flat, polygonal face (63; 73), the sides of the polygonal face (63,;73) defining at least a pair of sharp cutting edges (65; 75) and at least a pair of cutting surfaces (67; 77) that define a negative rake angle with respect to the sidewall (51) of the borehole that is being sheared by the gage insert (61; 71). The face (63; 73), cutting edge (65; 75), and cutting surface (67; 77) of the gage insert (61; 71) are formed of a super-hard and abrasion-resistant material such as polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride. The body (33) of the insert (61; 71) is formed of a hard, fracture-tough material such as cemented tungsten carbide. The improved gage inserts (61; 71) are secured into sockets in the gage surface (23) of the rolling cone cutter (15) by interference fit. The improved gage inserts (61; 71) provide an actively cutting gage surface that engages the sidewall (51) of the borehole to promote shearing removal of the sidewall material. Such an improved gage insert (61; 71) provides an earth-boring bit (11) with improved gage-holding ability, and improved steerability in directional drilling operations.

Description: This invention relates to cutter assemblies for rolling cone earth boring bits, specifically to the hard inserts for use in such cutter assemblies. Earth-boring bits of the rolling cone variety rely on the rolling movement of at least one cutter over the bottom of the bore hole for achieving drilling progress. The earth-disintegrating action of the rolling cone cutter is enhanced by providing the cutter with a plurality of protrusions or teeth. These teeth are generally of two types: milled teeth, formed from the material of the rolling cone; and inserts, formed of a hard material and attached to the rolling cone surface. One measure of a rolling cone earth-boring bit's performance is its ability to "hold gage," or maintain a consistent borehole diameter over the depth or length of the borehole. Maintenance of a consistent borehole diameter expedites and simplifies the drilling process because drill strings may be removed from and inserted into a hole of generally consistent diameter more easily than a borehole of varying diameter. Gage holding ability is of particular importance in directional drilling applications. To achieve this gage holding ability, the rolling cones of such earth boring bits have been provided with hard inserts on the outermost, or gage, surface of the rolling cones. These gage inserts have functioned primarily as wear pads that prevent the erosion of the gage surface of the rolling cone, thereby permitting the earth boring bit to hold a more consistent gage or borehole diameter. One example of such an insert is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,774,571, December 18, 1956, to Morlan. Other gage inserts are shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,137,355, June 16, 1964, to Schumacher; U.S. Patent No. 3,389,761, June 25, 1968, to Ott; and U.S. Patent No. 4,729,440, March 8, 1988, to Hall. Two staggered rows of such gage inserts are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,343,372, August 10, 1982, to Kinzer. U.S. Patent No. 4,940,099, July 10, 1990, to Deane et al., discloses alternating polycrystalline diamond and tungsten carbide gage inserts mounted substantially flush with the gage surface of the rolling cone cutter. The gage inserts described in the above references are passive in operation, that is, they serve only as wear-resistant inserts and are not designed to actively cut the gage of the borehole. Such wear-resistant inserts are susceptible to heat-cracking and spalling in operation, and may fail to provide adequate gage-holding ability. Loss of gage-holding ability or gage protection can lead to lower rates of penetration and decreased seal and bearing life. A Smith International, Inc. promotional brochure entitled "Smith Steerable-Motor Bits On Target For Your Drilling Program" discloses chisel-shaped inserts on the gage surface that protrude a great distance from the gage surface. It is believed that these inserts may be easily broken due to bending stress present in the inserts because of their extreme protrusion. It is further believed that rounded cutting edges associated with chisel-shaped inserts are susceptible to heat-cracking and spalling similar to passive wear-resistant inserts. Chisel-shaped inserts also provide less wear-resistance than flat-tipped inserts because only the rounded chisel crest is in tangential contact with the wall of the borehole. It is a general object of this invention to provide an earth-boring bit having improved gage-holding ability. This and other objects are achieved by a cutter provided with hard gage inserts that protrude from the gage surface of the cutter to engage the side of the borehole for holding gage. The gage insert has a substantially flat, polygonal face, the sides of the polygonal face defining at least a pair of sharp cutting edges and at least a pair of cutting surfaces that define a negative rake angle with respect to the sidewall of the borehole that is being sheared by the gage insert. The pair of cutting surfaces converge to define at least one plow edge. The face, cutting edge, cutting surface, and plow edge of the gage insert are formed of a super-hard and abrasion-resistant material such as polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride. The body of the insert is formed of a hard, fracture-tough material such as cemented tungsten carbide. The improved gage inserts are secured into sockets in the gage surface of the rolling cone cutter by interference fit. The improved gage inserts provide an actively cutting gage surface that engages the sidewall of the borehole to promote shearing removal of the sidewall material. Such an improved gage insert provides an earth-boring bit with improved gage-holding ability, and improved steerability in directional drilling operations. The above and additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention. Figure 1 is a perspective view of an earth-boring bit of a type suitable for incorporating the improved gage inserts of the invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged, plan, and side elevation view of a gage insert. Figure 3 is an enlarged, plan, and side elevation view of a further gage insert. Figure 4 is an enlarged, longitudinal section of a gage insert. Figure 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary view, in longitudinal section, of a gage insert in shear-cutting engagement with the sidewall of the borehole. Figure 6 is an enlarged, plan view of a gage insert according to of the present invention. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the gage insert of Figure 6. Figures 8 - 10 are enlarged, fragmentary plan views of a portion of three gage inserts according to the present invention. Figure 11 is a plan view of a gage insert according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 1, an earth-boring bit 11 has a threaded section 13 on its upper end for securing the bit to a string of drill pipe. A plurality of earth-disintegrating cutters 15, usually three, are rotatably mounted on bearing shafts (not shown) depending from the bit body. At least one nozzle 17 is provided to discharge drilling fluid pumped from the drill string to the bottom of the borehole. A lubricant pressure compensator system 19 is provided for each cutter to reduce a pressure differential between the borehole fluid and the lubricant in the bearings of the cutters 15. Each cutter 15 is generally conical and has nose area 21 at the apex of the cone, and a gage surface 23 at the base of the cone. The gage surface 23 is frusto-conical and is adapted to contact the sidewall of the borehole as the cutter 15 rotates about the borehole bottom. Each cutter 15 has a plurality of wear-resistant inserts 25 secured by interference fit into mating sockets drilled in the supporting surface of the cutter 15 . These wear-resistant inserts 25 are constructed of a hard, fracture-tough material such as cemented tungsten carbide. Inserts 25 generally are located in rows extending circumferentially about the generally conical surface of the cutters 15 . Certain of the rows are arranged to intermesh with other rows on other cutters 15. One or two of the cutters may have staggered rows consisting of a first row of 25a of inserts and a second row of 25b of inserts. A first or heel row 27 is a circumferential row that is closest to the edge of the gage surface 23 . There are no inserts closer to the gage surface 23 than the inserts of the heel row 27 . A row of gage inserts 31 are secured to the gage surface 23 of the cutter 15 . Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, enlarged plan and side elevation views of two embodiments of gage insert are shown. Each insert 31 has a generally cylindrical insert body 33 , formed of a hard, fracture-tough material such as cemented tungsten carbide or the like. The gage insert 31 has a cutting end 35 having a substantially flat, wear-resistant face 37 formed thereon. The face 37 is substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the gage insert 31. The cutting end 35 of the gage insert 31 is formed of a layer of a super-hard, abrasion-resistant material such as polycrystalline diamond (PCD), thermally stable polycrystalline diamond (TSP), cubic boron nitride (CBN), or the like. It is at least theoretically possible to fabricate cemented carbide materials having adequate hardness and abrasion resistance for use in the cutting end 35 of the invention in certain geological formations, but PCD, TSP and CBN are the only materials presently economically available that are thought to be adequate for use in the cutting end 35 for a wide variety of geological formations. The layer comprising the cutting end 35 of the gage insert 31 may be affixed to the body 33 of the insert 31 by brazing, sintering the two materials together, or other methods conventional in the art. The end of the insert body 33 opposite the cutting end has a small bevel 33a formed thereon to facilitate insertion of the insert 31 into the mating hole in the surface of the cutter 15 . At least one cutting edge 41, 41a, 41b is formed on the cutting end 35 of the gage insert 31 . This cutting edge 41, 41a, 41b may be formed by beveling the circumference of the cutting end 35 . Because the cutting end is formed of the super-hard, abrasion-resistant material, likewise the cutting edge 41 also is formed of the super-hard, abrasion-resistant material. It has been found that the cutting edge 41 , 41a , 41b must be formed of a super-hard, abrasion-resistant material for the proper function of the improved gage insert 31 . If the cutting edge 41 , 41a , 41b is formed of a softer or less abrasion-resistant material, the cutting edge rapidly will become blunted, and the gage insert 31 will cease to perform effectively as a shear-cutting insert. A blunted cutting edge 41 is equivalent to prior-art inserts having radiused or sharp-cornered edges. Prior-art PCD flush-mounted inserts are susceptible to heat-cracking and spalling because of excessive friction and heat buildup, and such inserts are incapable of the desirable shear-cutting action of the gage insert 31 of the present invention. Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of a gage insert 31 having two cutting edges 41a, 41b. One of the cutting edges 41b is formed by the intersection of a circumferential bevel 43 and the face 37 on the cutting end 35 of the insert 31 . The other cutting edge 41a is formed by the intersection of a flat or planar bevel 45 , the face 37 , and the circumferential bevel 43 , defining a chord across the circumference of the generally cylindrical gage insert 31. Fig. 3 illustrates a gage insert 31 having a single continuous circumferential cutting edge 41 formed by the intersection of a bevel 43 about the circumference of the cutting end 35 of the gage insert 31. Fig. 4 shows yet another embodiment of a gage insert. In this embodiment, the cutting end 35 of the insert 31 is a cylinder of super-hard, abrasion-resistant material. The body 33 of the insert 31 is a cylinder of hard, fracture-tough material, having a cylindrical socket 33b enclosing the cutting end cylinder 35 . Such an insert may be formed by sintering the two materials together, brazing the cutting end 35 into the socket 33b of the insert body 33 , or other methods known in the art. A planar bevel 45 is formed on the cutting end 35 of the gage insert 31 , intersecting the face 37 of the cutting end 35 to define a first cutting edge 41a . The first cutting edge 41a thus is formed of the super-hard, abrasion-resistant material of the cutting end cylinder 35 . A second cutting edge 41b is formed by the intersection of a circumferential bevel 43 about the body of the insert and the face 37 of the cutting end 35. The second cutting edge 41 b thus is formed of the hard, fracture-tough material. It will be appreciated that a variety of cutting edges formed of materials having various mechanical properties may be formed on a gage insert in accordance with this invention. Apart from the number and composition of the cutting edges 41 , 41a , 41b , the dimensions of the bevels that define the cutting edges are of significance in the proper operation of the gage insert 31 of the present invention. For reasons that will become apparent in the discussion of the operation of the invention, the bevel angle  is of importance. It has been found that a bevel angle  of 45 degrees functions quite satisfactorily. Likewise, the depth and width of the bevel 43, 45 are important to the proper function of the gage insert 31 . It has been determined that a bevel depth dl of at least 0,25 4 mm ch, in combination with a bevel angle  of 45 degrees, produces a satisfactorily functioning gage insert. Because the bevel angle  is 45 degrees, the depth dl and width of the bevel are the same. For another bevel angle , the depth dl and width would not be equal, but the bevel depth dl should be selected to be at least 0,254mm. The bevel described herein should be distinguished from bevels formed by standard manufacturing operations such as "breaking sharp edges or corners." The bevel resulting from such operations typically resembles a radius, and therefore is not capable of forming the cutting edge 41 of the present invention. Fig. 5 illustrates, in longitudinal section, an embodiment of the gage insert 31 in operation. The geometry and dynamics of the cutting action of earth-boring bits is extremely complex, but the operation of the gage insert 31 of the present invention is believed to be similar to that of a metal-cutting tool. As the cutter 15 rotates along the bottom of the borehole, the gage surface 23 of each cutter 15 comes in proximity to the sidewall 51 of the borehole. Because the gage surface 23 is proximal to the sidewall 51 of the borehole, the protruding gage insert 31 contacts the sidewall 51 of the borehole. The cutting edge 41 of the gage insert 31 shearingly cuts into the material of the sidewall 51 of the borehole. The bevel 45 serves as a cutting or chip-breaking surface that causes shear stress in the material of the borehole sidewall 51 , thus shearing off fragments or chips 53 of the borehole material. The substantially flat face 37 of the insert 31 remains at least partially in contact with the sidewall 51 of the borehole, and thus is subject to abrasive wear during operation. Wear-resistance of the face 37 is enhanced because the surface area of the face 37 that is in contact with the sidewall is maximized (the area is very nearly equal to the cross-sectional area of the generally cylindrical insert body 33 ). An insert design having a smaller contact surface area of the face 37 would not have adequate wear-resistant characteristics. Significant in the proper operation of the gage inserts 31 of the present invention are the dimensions of the cutting edge 41, 41a, 41b and bevel 43, 45. In cutting the sidewall 51 of the borehole, the bevel angle  defines a rake angle α with respect to the portion of the borehole sidewall 51 being cut. It is believed that the rake angle α must be negative (such that the cutting surface leads the cutting edge 41 ) to avoid high friction and the resulting heat buildup, which can cause rapid failure of the gage insert 31 . The bevel angle , which defines and is equal to, the rake angle α, may be chosen from a range between 0 and 90 degrees. The choice of bevel and rake angles , α depends upon the cutting action desired: at a high rake angle α (90 degrees, for instance), there is no cutting edge, and thus no shearing action; at a low rake angle α (0 degrees, for instance) shearing action is maximized, but is accompanied by high friction and transient shock loading of the insert 31 , which can cause insert failure. It is believed that an intermediate rake angle, in the range between 15 and 60 degrees, provides a satisfactory compromise between the cutting action of the insert 31 and insert operational life. Again, because the cutting dynamics of rolling cone earth-boring bits are complicated, the exact cutting action of the gage insert 31 is not fully understood. It is believed that providing an at least partially circumferential cutting edge ( 41 and 41b in Figs. 2 and 3) having a circumferential bevel 43 will permit the cutting edge 41 , 41b to shearingly contact the sidewall 51 of the borehole notwithstanding geometric peculiarities of the earth-boring bit design or of the borehole being drilled. Providing a planar cutting edge 41a, in addition to the partially circumferential cutting edge 41b, is thought to provide a more efficient cutting edge at a point on the insert 31 that is believed to contact the sidewall of the borehole 51 most frequently. Such a planar cutting edge is believed to be more effective at removing borehole sidewall 51 material (i.e. takes a bigger bite) than other types of edges. The face 37 of the insert 31 should extend a distance p from the gage surface 23 during drilling operation. Such protrusion enhances the ability of the cutting edge 41 , 41a , 41b , to shearingly engage the borehole sidewall 51 . During drilling operation in abrasive formations, the gage surface 23 will be eroded away, increasing any distance p the face 37 protrudes or extends form the gage surface 23 . If the cutting face 37 extends much further than 1,905 mm from the gage surface 23 , the insert 31 may experience an unduly large bending stress, which may cause the insert 31 to break of fail prematurely. Therefore, the face 37 should not extend a great distance p from the gage surface 23 at assembly and prior to drilling operation. The face may be flush with the gage surface 23 at assembly, or preferably extends a nominal distance p of between 0,381 and 0,762 mm , for most bits.(resp. 0,015 and 0,030 inch) At least one cutting edge 41, 41a, 41b, of the gage insert 31 must be formed of the super-hard, abrasion-resistant material (as discussed above) to prevent the cutting edge from rapidly being eroded by the abrasive materials encountered in the borehole. It has been found that gage inserts formed of softer materials cannot maintain the cutting edge 41, 41a, 41b, required for the operation of the gage insert 31 of the present invention. Provision of an insert body 33 formed of a hard, fracture-tough material such as cemented tungsten carbide provides a shock absorbing mass to absorb the shock loads that the super-hard, abrasion-resistant material is incapable of sustaining by itself. Figures 6 and 7 are plan and perspective views, respectively, of a gage insert 61 according to the present invention. Like the embodiments described with reference to Figure 2 and 3, insert 61 includes a generally cylindrical body 33 formed of hard, fracture-tough material, and a cutting end 35 formed of super-hard, abrasion resistant material. Cutting end 35 of insert 61 is provided with a polygonal face 63 , which is substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of insert 61 . Polygonal face 63 has at least two sides that define at least a pair of cutting edges 65 . In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6 and 7, polygonal face 63 is hexagonal and defines six cutting edges 65 . Six cutting surfaces 67 or bevels connect each side or cutting edge 65 defined by polygonal face 63 with cutting end portion 35 of cylindrical body 33 . Like the embodiments illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, cutting surfaces 67 extend at a selected angle to define a negative rake angle with respect to the sidewall of the borehole being sheared. The same angular and dimensional constraints described with reference to the embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 3 apply to cutting surfaces 67 . Polygonal face 63 , cutting edges 65 , cutting surfaces 67 , and plow edge 69 are formed by grinding or electrical discharge machining (EDM) a commercially available wafer of super-hard, abrasion-resistant material. Alternately, these could be integrally formed during formation of the super-hard, abrasion-resistant material itself. Cutting edges 65 and cutting surfaces 67 intersect one another to define at least one, in this case six, plow edges 69 . Plow edges 69 have a reduced area of contact with the sidewall of the borehole, increasing the ability of gage insert 61 to shear formation material from the sidewall of the borehole. Additionally, each cutting surface 67 recedes from plow edge 69 to provide an area or clearance for chip formation and removal. Due to the relatively small protrusion of the cutting end of the insert, only a small amount of material can be displaced up the cutting surface as shavings. At greater depths of cut or higher penetration rates the majority of the material has to be disposed laterally into the open space adjacent the insert to maintain an effective shearing action and to avoid unproductive clogging. The combination of a plow edge and inclined cutting surfaces is a very effective, streamlined geometry to shear the formation and laterally displace it. Figures 8 through 10 are enlarged, fragmentary, plan views of varying configurations of plow edges 69 , 169 , 269 according to the present invention. Figure 8 illustrates a plow edge 69 formed by a sharp intersection of cutting surfaces 67 , wherein plow edge 69 can be characterized as a sharp corner or edge. Figure 9 illustrates a plow edge 169 formed by a radius at the intersection of cutting surfaces 67 . Figure 10 depicts a plow edge 269 that comprises a flat or chamfer formed at the intersection of cutting surfaces 67 . All of these edge configurations are contemplated by the present invention, and one may be preferable to another depending on other bit design considerations. Figure 11 is a plan view of a gage insert 71 according to the present invention that is generally similar to that illustrated in Figure 6, except polygonal face 73 is octagonal, and thus provides eight sides or cutting edges 75 and defines eight cutting surfaces 77 and eight plow edges 79 . It has been found that gage inserts similar to the embodiment illustrated with reference to Figure 3 (having a single circular edge 41 and conical cutting surface 43 ) form chips that erode cutter shell material on the gage surface ( 23 in Figure 1) adjacent to and surrounding the gage insert. It is believed that a gage insert 61 , 71 according to the present invention having at least one plow edge 69 , 79 oriented where cutter shell erosion normally would occur will prevent severe cutter shell erosion adjacent the inserts because cutting surfaces 67 , 77 , which diverge from plow edges 69 , 79 provide a clearance area for formation and lateral removal of chips during cutting. Provision of a gage insert 61 , 71 with a plurality of plow edges 69 , 79 , i.e. six or eight, reduces the margin of error in orienting a plow edge 69 , 79 where it will be most effective. Gage inserts 61 , 71 operate similarly to those described with reference to Figures 1-5, but with added efficiency due to the ability of reduced-area plow edges 69, 79 to increase the contact stress induced in formation material at the sidewall of the borehole and to provide an area for formation and removal of chips generated by the shear-cutting action of the inserts. An advantage of the improved gage insert of the present invention is that earth-boring bits equipped with such inserts have both superior gage-holding ability and superior longevity and rates of penetration.

Claims: A gage insert (61; 71) comprising an elongated cylindrical body (33) formed of a hard, fracture-tough material, said body (33) being secured by interference fit in an aperture in a gage surface (23) of a rolling cutter (15) of an earth-boring bit (11), a cutting end (35) formed of a super-hard, abrasion-resistant material, and having a polygonal face (63; 73) substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of the body (33) and adapted to extend, during drilling operation, a selected distance from the gage surface (23), at least a pair of cutting surfaces (67;77) connecting the polygonal face (63;73) and the body (33)of the insert at a selected angle  to define cutting edges (65; 75) to shear a sidewall (51) of a borehole, the cutting surfaces (67; 77) intersecting to define a plow edge (69; 79; 169; 269); and the selected bevel angle  of each cutting surface defining a negative rake angle with respect to the sidewall (51) of a borehole being sheared. A gage insert according to claim 1 characterized in that the selected bevel angle of each cutting surface is above 0 and below 90°, preferably between 15 and 60°, preferably substantially equal to 45°. Gage insert (61; 71) according to either one of claims 1 and 2 whereby the polygonal face (63; 73) of the cutting end (35) is substantially flat, each side of said polygonal face (63; 73) defining a cutting edge (65; 75), a plurality of the cutting surfaces (67; 77) connecting the sides of the polygonal face (63; 73) to the body (33) of the gage insert (61; 71) at the selected angle Θ, at least two of the cutting surfaces (67; 77) intersecting one another to define a plow edge (69; 79; 169; 269). A gage insert (61; 71) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising three pairs of cutting surfaces (67) intersecting another of the pair surfaces (67) to define six plow edges (69; 169; 269). A gage insert (61; 71) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, whereby the polygonal face (63) is a hexagon that defines six cutting edges (65), six cutting surfaces (67), and six plow edges (69; 169; 269). A gage insert (61; 71) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising four pairs of cutting surfaces (77), each surface of each pair of cutting surfaces (77) intersecting another of the pair of surfaces (77) to define eight plow edges (79). A gage insert (61; 71) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, whereby the polygonal face (73) is an octagon that defines eight cutting edges (75), eight cutting surfaces (77), and eight plow edges (79). A gage insert (61; 71) according to any one of the preceding claims, whereby the plow edge (79; 169) is a radius at the intersection of cutting surfaces (67; 77). A gage insert (61; 71) according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, whereby the plow edge (69; 79) is a sharp edge at the intersection of a pair of cutting surfaces (67; 77). A gage insert (61; 71) according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, whereby the plow edge (79; 269) is a flat surface generally at the intersection of cutting surfaces (67; 77). A gage insert (61; 71) according to any one of the preceding claims, whereby the super-hard, abrasion-resistant material is polycrystalline diamond. A gage insert (61; 71) according to any one of the preceding claims, whereby the hard, fracture-tough material is cemented tungsten carbide. A rolling cutter (15) for an earth-boring bit (11), said rolling cutter (15) having a gage surface (23) having a plurality of gage inserts secured in sockets formed in the gage surface (23), whereby at least one of said gage inserts is a gage insert (61; 71) according to any one of the precedent claims, the cutting end (35) of which extends a selected distance from the gage surface (23), said gage inserts (61; 71) being secured by interference fit in sockets formed in the gage surface (23). Rolling cutter (15) according to claim 13 whereby the cutting end (35) of the one or more gage inserts (61; 71) according to any one of the claims 1 to 11 projets at least 0,381 mm from the gage surface (23). An earth-boring bit (11) comprising at least one rolling cutter (15) according to either one of claims 13 and 14.

Inventors: PESSIER RUDOLF, SCOTT DANNY E, PESSIER, RUDOLF, SCOTT, DANNY E., PESSIER, RUDOLF C. O.
Applicants: BAKER HUGHES INC, BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
Application year: 1994
Main classification: E21B10
IPC codes: E21B10, E21B17